What Wrongs Have White Administrators Done to Aborginal People in the Past? Have All Wrong Been Righted?
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What Wrongs Have White Administrators Done to Aborginal people In The Past? Have
all wrong Been Righted?
Even though Hardy wrote his book in 1968, he gives a good definition of
how the Aborigines were treated in that time. A very bias 'opinion' based
difinition of the treatment of Aborigines:
"To this day the Aborigine is treated as less than a man, his situation
isapalling. His destiny and very identity is decided by his white superiors.
He can live only on terms dictated by the people, who despise him. He is paid
less, educated less, segregated, rendered landless, discriminated against,
insulted, deprived of dignity, his women molested." (Hardy 1968)
The Aborgiines have been unfairly treated since European settlement.
Children have been taken from their parents, they have been humiliated. They
have shot down until not one Aborgine was left in Tasmania. Even though all te
worst of it has been over for the Aborigines - but has all wrongs been righted?
One of the most inhumane practices of white settlement in Australia
would be the taking of the Aboriginal children from their families. Some
Aboriginal children were brought up to feel ashamed of their race and heir
colour. "In a deliberate and callous attempt to conceal their cultural
identity," Aboriginal children were taken from the families an forcibly placed
in an institution and were denied further contact with their families.
(Aboriginal legal service, 1995 pp ii)
For white Australia, the feeling of responsibility, shame, apologetic
and sympathetic for what their past people have done to the Aboriginals. The
Aboriginals feeling anguished, rejected and feeling in a sense
made "different"
from the Europeans.
"For Aboriginal participants a catharsis for feelings of sorrow and rage,
and it encourages as to anticipate that, after generations of neglect, white
Australia is finally prepared to own the shame of its past, and to accept the
responsibility of effecting real and substantial
reparation in the future."
(Aboriginal legal service, 1995 pp ii)
Aboriginal children in Western Australia were removed from their
families until the 1960's. The children were taken from police and 'welfare
offices' to be raised as white children for the purpose of assimilation.
(Aboriginal Legal Service, 1995 pp ii)
Surveys have been conducted from Aboriginal people. They were asked
about the effects the assimilation had on them. (See Appendix A)
"It is not only the intence impact of removal from families and culture
which has contributed to long lasting effects. Life at the missions, faster
care, or other institutions was for may a harsh experience which exacerbated the
dislocation, alienation, lonliness and pain felt from being rem,oved from
families and culture." (Aboriginal Legal Service, 1995, pp 5)
Emotional, physical and sexual abuse were taking place upon
Aboriginal
children in institutions and dormatories. "Spiritual hurt has also suffered the
Aboriginal children from the removal from their families. The following list
shows how Aboriginal children were abused. (Aboriginal Legal Service 1995, pp
5)